casual cooking and living

Tag Archives: cream cheese recipes

Here is a great entertaining recipe for any get together or party. I have wonderful food memories from my childhood eating onion dip when my parents entertained. It was a favorite dip in our house, probably in many houses. You opened a dry soup mix and added it to sour cream and bam it ‘s a dip. Let me say I loved it growing up. In fact, my early days of cooking included many recipes using store bought soup in a package or can. Of course today, I love using fresh ingredients and with a little more effort the results deliver much better flavor and are far more healthy. You’ll love this onion dip – caramelizing the onions is the part that requires the most time, but the results are worth your time. Serve with your favorite potato chips and enjoy!

From by the bay wishing you yummy onion dip food memories!

Maryann

Caramelized Onion Dip

Ingredients

1 large sweet onion, sliced thinly

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon sriracha hot chili sauce

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

2 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup good quality mayonnaise

Directions

In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the onions and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 25 minutes. Let the onions cool slightly, about 15 minutes.
In a food processor add 1/2 the onions and the remaining ingredients and blend. Stir in the onions and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Serve at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8” square baking pan. ( I find an 8″ square glass baking dish works best). Make the topping for cake by combining all dry ingredients in a bowl. Stir in melted butter and make large chunky crumbs, between 1/4″ to 1/2″ inch depending on preference. Place crumbs onto a parchment lined baking sheet and put into the refrigerator to cool for about 15 minutes. To make filling combine the dark brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.To make cake batter sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt in a bowl. Use an electric mixer to cream butter and sugars together until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. Mix in the flour alternately with the sour cream and pumpkin puree and mix well. Once combined pour half the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread out with a spatula. Sprinkle the filling evenly atop the batter. Spread the remaining batter on top of the filling. Use a table knife to gently swirl the filling into the batter. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of the batter. Place in the oven to bake until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean, when inserted into the center of the cake. This is approximately 50 to 55 minutes. Remove the cake from oven and let cool on cake stand about 20 minutes before removing from pan to serve.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

For Filling

4 ounces cream cheese

1/4 cup confectioners sugar

1/4 teaspoons vanilla

For Muffins

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup pumpkin puree

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

roasted and salted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) to garnish top of muffins

Directions

In a small bowl mix the cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla together. Place on a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log. Place in the freezer for at least one hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Use a 12 cup muffin tray and line each cup with a paper baking cup, preferably unbleached. In a medium size bowl add the ingredients for the batter except the pumpkin seeds. Mix well. Fill each cup about 3/4 full. Remove the cream cheese from the freezer and cut into 12 rounds or pieces about 2 teaspoons each. Place the cream cheese into the batter, it should be level with the batter and showing the cream cheese in the center. Top each muffin with 5 ot 6 pumpkin seeds. Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until a tester

comes our clean from the batter part of the muffin, don’t use the tester in the cream cheese. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before removing from the muffin tray. Serve warm, cold or at room temperature.

Pumpkin Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Muffin batter

1 ¾ cup flour

¾ cup fine granulated sugar

½ cup dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

2/3 cup sour cream

½ cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon honey

2 eggs

½ cup pumpkin puree

Topping

1 tablespoon fine granulated sugar

½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions
In a small bowl mix topping by combining sugar and cinnamon and set aside. In another bowl mix together dry ingredient s of sugar, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice and ginger. Using another bowl combine sour cream, oil, honey, eggs and pumpkin puree. Whisk together. Add ingredients to the dry ingredients in the other bowl. Mix until incorporated, batter will be lumpy don’t over mix. Take a lined 12 muffin tin and fill each muffin tin to 2/3 with batter. Top the batter with cinnamon and sugar mixture. Bake in a preheated 400 degrees F oven for 20-22 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on rack.

Looking for a pumpkin based treat to satisfy my inner child as well as fully embrace fall and the upcoming holiday – Halloween, I looked no further than my local Starbucks for inspiration. This is my take on one of their seasonal breakfast baked goods. I love the tangy cream cheese filling in contrast to the complex spice of the muffin. The pumpkin seeds on top add just the right amount of texture and crunch. This is definitely one of my favorites! Make it one of yours and treat out this delicious seasonal treat!

From by the bay, wishing you tangy food memories!

Maryann

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

For Filling

4 ounces cream cheese

1/4 cup confectioners sugar

1/4 teaspoons vanilla

For Muffins

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup pumpkin puree

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

roasted and salted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) to garnish top of muffins

Directions

In a small bowl mix the cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla together. Place on a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log. Place in the freezer for at least one hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Use a 12 cup muffin tray and line each cup with a paper baking cup, preferably unbleached. In a medium size bowl add the ingredients for the batter except the pumpkin seeds. Mix well. Fill each cup about 3/4 full. Remove the cream cheese from the freezer and cut into 12 rounds or pieces about 2 teaspoons each. Place the cream cheese into the batter, it should be level with the batter and showing the cream cheese in the center. Top each muffin with 5 ot 6 pumpkin seeds. Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until a tester comes our clean from the batter part of the muffin, don’t use the tester in the cream cheese. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before removing from the muffin tray. Serve warm, cold or at room temperature.

I love holidays! I love cooking for holidays, decorating for holidays and entertaining for holidays. I like to make every holiday possible, a little special event, especially with my cooking! My niece tells me, I should make my house by the bay like the house in ” Holiday Inn”. This is a classic movie with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. Bing Crosby’s character in the film , moves to Connecticut and buys a country inn. Bing turns the inn into a super club open only on the holidays and is off the rest of the year. If I could make that work, believe me, I would do it. With my love of holidays out in the open, you can be sure that I will be blogging recipes before each holiday in order for you to celebrate. With Halloween arriving in few days here are two treats to make. Start the morning right with pumpkin muffins. With anticipation of the day ahead, get the holiday going with this tasty treat, the aroma in your home will be intoxicating. The next recipe is a devil foods cupcake with cream cheese icing the kids and adults will love it. Trick or treat!

From by the bay, wishing you treats and fond food memories!
Maryann

Pumpkin Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Muffin batter

1 ¾ cup flour

¾ cup fine granulated sugar

½ cup dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground allspice

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

2/3 cup sour cream

½ cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon honey

2 eggs

½ cup pumpkin puree

Topping

1 tablespoon fine granulated sugar

½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

In a small bowl mix topping by combining sugar and cinnamon and set aside. In another bowl mix together dry ingredient s of sugar, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice and ginger. Using another bowl combine sour cream, oil, honey, eggs and pumpkin puree. Whisk together. Add ingredients to the dry ingredients in the other bowl. Mix until incorporated, batter will be lumpy don’t over mix. Take a lined 12 muffin tin and fill each muffin tin to 2/3 with batter. Top the batter with cinnamon and sugar mixture. Bake in a preheated 400 degrees F oven for 20-22 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool on rack.

Halloween Devil Food Cup Cakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

12 cupcakes

Chocolate Cupcakes

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2/3 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2/3 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups flour

2 squares melted chocolate

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Use an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add egg and mix well. Add the dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk and vanilla and beat well. Melt chocolate squares in microwave, heat 30 seconds remove and stir with a spoon until melted. If chocolate is not completely melted repeat process. Cool for 5 minutes and add into the batter combining well. Place paper liners into a 12 muffin tin. Place batter into each cup until about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for 25 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Keep in airtight container until ready to frost and eat.

Tip: If you don’t have buttermilk substitute 2/3 cup milk with one tablespoon of white vinegar and let sit for 5 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup confectionery sugar

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Mix the above ingredients until smooth. Keep in air tight container in the refrigerator until ready to frost and eat the cupcakes. After you frost the cupcakes decorate with sprinkles, crush candy or chocolate cookies.

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray loaf pan with oil. In a small bowl combine raisins and warm water and let sit for 10 minutes so raisins can get plump. In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients: flour, salt, nutmeg, and baking soda, cinnamon and brown sugar. In a medium bowl combine oil, eggs, grated zucchini and strained raisins, plus 3 tablespoons of the water the raisins were soaking in. Add to the dry ingredients. Mix well and pour into loaf pan. Bake for one hour until the tester comes out clean. Cool on metal rack for 20 minutes. When cool remove bread from pan. Frost the bread with cream cheese frosting right before serving.

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz softened cream cheese

4 oz confectionary sugar

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon lime zest

Directions

Combine ingredients using an electric mixer until smooth. Use to frost zucchini cake or keep in refrigerator until ready to serve cake and frost just before serving